Alarm-resetting means for clocks.



W. A. ARMOUR. ALARM RESETTING MEANS FOR CLOCKS. APPLICATION FILEDAPR.13, 1909,

1,040,1 1 1. Pafented 001;. 1, 1912.

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fiyenfar Wf/Fam 4 [/rkmar W. A. ARMOUR. ALARM RESETTING MEANS FORCLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1909.

1,040, 1 1 1 Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

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7%Z/16 wa f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM A. ARMOUR, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SETH THOMASCLOCK CQMPANY, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT.

ALARM-RESETTING MEANS FOR CLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

Application filed April 13, 1909. Serial No. 489,735.

My invention relates to an improvement in alarm resetting mechanism forclocks of the general character described in an allowed application ofLapham and Valker, Serial Number 180,047, filed February 25, 1909, and apatent dated August 25, 1908,

My invention is particularly adapted for, use with an alarm of acontinuous type, that is, one which will ring continuously until shutoff, and a clock movement which nor mally runs for a single day andrequires rewinding every 2 1 hours, but my invention may be equallyadaptable to any ordinary alarm clock.

My invention will be defined in the claims hereunto annexed.

In the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention;Figure 1 is a view of the entire clock; Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe operating mechanism of the clock and the alarm; Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken from line A-A of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow withparts re moved for the sake of clearness; Fig. 4: 1s a section alongline B-B of Fig. 2 with parts removed for the sake of clearness; Fig. 5is a detail of the tripping means shown partly in section; Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the trippin means; Fig. 7 is a detached side view thewinding arbor and restoring member partly in section. Figs. 8 and 9 areviews beneath of the restoring member in differentpositions.

The clock casing is indicated by 1 having the usual dial face 1.l/Vithin the casing are mounted the different operating parts for thetime movement and the alarm movement shown in front elevation in Fig. 2.The front and rear face plates composing the clock frame upon which thedifferent parts of the movement are mounted are designated by 4 and 49,respectively. The main spring of the time movement is indicated at 2,which through the usual train of gearing common to all clocks givesmovement to the hands 8 and 9. Since this train of gearing is member islocated at the end of a leaf similar to that found in all clocks, I havenot thought it necessary to more particularly describe it other thanmentioning the fact that the hands receive their movement from the mainspring 2. The alarm mechanism comprises a main spring 3 of the alarmmovement, which through a suitable train of gearing transmits movementto an operating ratchet 11. A double nose pawl 6 fixed to the shaft 6pivotally mounted on the clock frame is adapted to engage the opcratingratchet 11- to be rocked thereby, and the hammer 7 of the alarm ismounted on the same shaft 6 of this operating pawl 6. This is also ausual construction in alarm clocks and it is plain that the hammer 7 ofthe alarm mechanism is adapted to be.vibrated by means of the mainspring 3. Extending outwardly from the shaft 6" is an arm shown moreclearly in Figs. 3 and 4, which is adapted to be engaged by stoppingmember to normally prevent the shaft 6 and hammer 7 from vibrating. Inmy preferred construction shown herein the stopping spring 10 firmlysecured at the other end to the face plate of the clock movement. Theouter end of spring 10 is bent at right angles as shown in Figs. 3 and 4to provide the mem ber 10 to engage the arm 5. This stoppin member 10normally tends to spring out 0% engagement with the arm 5, but isadapted to be held in engagement therewith and periodically released bythe tripping means which will now be described.

Extending through from front to rear of the two plates 4 and 4 of theclock frame is frictionally mounted an arbor 14 but free to turn andhaving fixed to its front end a setting cam and to its rear end afingerturned button 17. Freely mounted to rotate on this arbor 14 adjacent theoperating cam 15 is a pinion 12 having a circular boss portion 12 whichrests against the leaf spring. 10. .The leaf spring 10 extending acrossthe arbor 14: is suitably perforated to permit the same to extendtherethrough.

Projecting from the outer face of the pinion" 12 is a pin 18 whichnormally engages and travels around the adjacent face of the cam 15. Anotch 19- is formed in this face-of the cam 15, into which the pin 18drops when it reaches the same, which result is eflectuated by thespring 10, so as to permit the stopping means 10 to spring away fromengagement with the arm 5. The pinion 12 has a sliding movement on thearbor 14 to allow this movement. The pinion 12 is continually inengagement with a wide toothed pinion 13 of the hour hand and ispreferably of the same size whereby the tripping means normally releasesthe alarm once every twelve Y hours. Fixed to the outer end of the arbor14 is a hand 16 which runs over the face of the dial 1, and a 12 hourdial 16 is arranged to coiiperate with this hand 16, whereby the samemay indicate the adjustment of the cam 15. The hand 16 should properlybefixed opposite the notch 19 so as to. indicate its position.

.' The above described mechanism is nearly all old and well known in theart of alarm clocks,'and my invention more particularly resides in thecombination with this mechanism of devices hereafter described.

Shutting of and restoring mechanism.- Pivoted at 22, on the clock frameis a man- I ually controlled lever 20 having a nose 20 not engage thestopping member 10,1and in full lines of said fi ure the lever 20 isshown as rocked to the right and as'engaging the stopping member 10 tohold it in its normal or stopping position. This is the position of theparts after the alarm has been shutoff by hand, and it is plain that theparts would normally. remain in this position and pre-' vent thetripping means from releasing the alarm at its next periodic movement,and

therefore I have designed a restoring mechanism for restoring the parts20, 21 to their normal position whereby the alarm is left under controlof the tripping means.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 7, a cup-shaped restoring member'24:is shown as loosely mounted upon the outer end of the main spring arbor26, and fixed to this arbor 26 and within the cup-shaped member 24:

v is a ratchet 27 The cup-shaped member 24:

as shown more clearly in Figs. 8 and 9 is provided with a pivoted pawl28 on its underside normally held in engagement with the ratchet 27 bymeans of a spring 29. It is thus seen that the cup-shaped restoringmember 24 is normally turned by the winding arbor 26 of the main spring,as long as the pawl 28' and ratchet 27 are in engagement. A in 30mounted on the clock frame in the position shown more clearly in Figs. 2and 9 acts to release the pawl 28 from the ratchet 27 when the operatingmember 24- has reached this position of its travel.

Thereafter the winding arbor 26 may be freely-turned without carryingthe restoring member 24:- therewith. The restoring member 2a is providedalso with a cam face 25, which, when the same is turned by itsconnection with the arbor 26, engages with the endof the lever 20 andmoves-the same away from engagement with the stopping member 10. Thisoperation takes place whenever the clock is wound by turning the windingarbor 26. The means for returning the member 24 back to itsoriginalfullline position shown in Fig. 2 consism preferably of a springwasher 31 mounted on the outer end of the arbor 26, and adapted to pressagainst the outward side of the cup-shaped member 24, and by itsfrictional engagement therewith to turn the same back when the arbor 26is slowly turned by the main spring 2 in the running down of the clock.A portion of the side walls of the cup-shaped member 2a is cut away andstop pins 30, 31 hxedzto the clock frame as shown in Fig. 2 are normallylocated within this cutaway are normally located within this cut-awaywalls therefore act as abutments, and engaging these pins 30 and 31limit its movement oi travel in either direction, as shown more clearlyin Figs. 8 and 9.

From the above description the operation of ray-improvement will beclear.

The alarm may be set in the usual way by adjusting the hand 16 of thetripping means opposite any desired hour of the 12 shown in the dial16*. When the alarm goes 0E it may be stopped by throwing the lever 21to the right and the parts would ordinarily remain in this posltion andprevent further operation of the alarm, unless some means are providedto restore them. As above described, we have shown this restoring meansas connected to the winding arbor of the clock, so that when the personretiring for the night winds his clock the parts will be automaticallyreset to their initial position ready for the alarm to be again operatedby the tripping means.

What I claim is: 1 In an alarm clock, the combination of a timemovement, an alarm mechanism, stopiis ing means comprising an impelledmember or normally preventing said alarm from operating, tripping meansactuated by said tlme movement to thereby efiectuate the re leasing ofsaid stopping means and its iinpelled member to permit the alarm tosound,

a member additional to the said stopping a means and operated by hand toshut ofi' said alarm mechanism when sounded, and means I additional tothe said tripping means and operated by the winding of the time movementfor restoring said alarm to the control of said stopping means.

2. In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement, an alarmmechanism, a

stopping member for engaging said alarm mechanism to prevent the samefrom operating, tripping means actuated by said time movementforreleasing said stopping memher, a device operated by hand to movesaid stopping member into engagement with said alarm mechanism forstopping the same when the alarm is sounded, and means actuated by thewinding of the time movementfor restoring said hand-operated member intoposition ready for a new operation.

In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement, an alarm mechanismcomprising a vibrating portion, a stopping memr for engaging saidvibrating portion of said alarm mechanism to prevent said alarm fromoperating, tripping means actuated by said time movement for releasingsaid stopping member, a device operated by hand for engaging and movingsaid stopping member into engagement with said vibratory portion of thealarm mechanism for step ping said alarm when the same is sounded, andmeans actuated by the winding of the time movement for disengaging saidhandoperated member from said stopping member, whereby thesameisrestored in position ready for a new operation.

4:. In an alarm clock in combination, a time movement having a windingarbor, an alarm mechanism, a manually operated device for stopping saidalarm mechanism, a restoring member freely mounted on said winding arborprovided with means for be ing connected to said arbor -tor movementtherewith when said arbor is turned in wind mg the clock, whereby saidrestoring mem-- ber acts to throw out said manually operated device fromits stopping position.

- 5. In an alarm 'clock in combination, a time movement having a windingarbor, an alarm mechanism, a manually operated de-, vice forstoppingsaid alarm mechanism, a restoring member freely mounted on said windingarbor, positive means for connecting the same to said arbor for apartial rotation therewith when said arbor is turned in winding theclock, whereby said member acts" to throw outsaid manually operateddevice from its stopping position, and friction means for connectingsaid member to said arbor to move therewith in the opposite direction asthe arbor is turned in the running down of said time movement, and meansto limit the movement of said cam in eitherv direction.

6. In an alarm clock in combination, a

time movement having a winding arbor, an alarm mechanism, a manuallyoperated device for stopping said alarm mechanism, an oscillatingrestoring member arranged to be moved by said arbor when winding theclock to throw out said manually operated device- I from a stoppingposition and to be returned in the opposite direction as the arbor isthus turned in the running down of the time movement to permit saidmanually operated member to be again operated. Signed at Thomaston,Conn, this 8th day of April 1909.

WILLIAM A; ARMOUR. Witnesses:

LEVI S. Parsons, LENA A. WATROUS.

